Spokane’s homeless polled in national point-in-time count

Domestic violence led to Misty Thornbrue’s first experience with homelessness. Gambling, drug addiction and alcoholism led to more days on the streets.

“This time, when I was about to be homeless in Las Vegas, I came back to Spokane,” she said. “I knew I would never be hungry. I knew I would have food to eat and a bed to sleep in, you just have to follow rules.”

With 112 days sober, Thornbrue now qualifies for many housing options available in Spokane and is optimistic about her future.

The 39-year-old is one of hundreds of Spokane County’s homeless counted Thursday in the annual nationwide Point-in-Time Count for 2015. The homeless census provides data for grant applications and reports required by state and federal governments and reveals service gaps within a community.

“It’s just one measure,” said Shelia Morley, City of Spokane Community Housing and Human Services program manager.

City workers manned a table Thursday at the STA plaza, helping people fill out forms about their housing situation. The forms ask whether people live in a car, abandoned building, on the streets, with family or friends, in a structure with no utilities or at a health care facility.

Those staying in shelters were given forms.

Homeless outreach workers will have until Wednesday to capture data on those who are considered unsheltered, Morley said.

City officials who help organize the annual count are unsure what the homeless count will reveal this year.

“We’ve housed a lot of families through the system,” Morley said. “So, I hope to see another drop in the families.”

Spokane County’s count in 2014 saw drops in homeless families and veterans. Officials have worked to improve services to those groups in recent years. However, the count revealed dramatic increases in those with severe mental illness and the chronically homeless – those without a home for more than a year or four times in three years.

Services to fill gaps identified in 2014 are already underway, including a 21-apartment housing complex for the chronically homeless who have a mental illness coupled with drug or alcohol problems. A new system is in place to help people who are single and homeless.

Ali Turner, of Spokane, who has relied on homeless shelters and temporary housing for years, said she’s seen “a lot more resources for the homeless in the last two years.”

Help for the homeless population began ramping up in 2012 starting with families. City officials developed a coordinated assessment program and worked in collaboration with community partners, such as Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, SNAP, Volunteers of America, Transitions’ Transitional Living Center and the YWCA Domestic Violence Shelter.

Agencies have worked to quickly provide assistance to prevent a family from becoming homeless by providing financial assistance, temporary housing or by serving as a mediator in family situations so people can stay where they’re living.

In the past year, the program has shifted from first-come-first-served to the most vulnerable having priority.

Starting in October, that same system is also being used to help single homeless men and women. SNAP is the lead agency assessing peoples’ needs.

“We are using a tool that’s been used nationwide, and really well-vetted,” Morley said. “During the first three months, we assessed 521 individuals. People are placed as units become available. We hope to have the same type of success as the family program.”

The city is also shifting more of its funding toward permanent housing. It funded a 21-apartment unit that opened in September in partnership with Catholic Charities, Morley said.

While the Point-in-Time Count helps measure the homeless population “through our coordinated assessment, we are really able to get a better idea of our gaps,” she said. “Of the 521 assessments, almost 200 qualified for permanent housing, and we don’t have anything available. So we are seeing a gap.”